QR Code - How it Works

What is a QR Code and How it Works.

Table of Contents

What is QR code

QR stands for Quick Response code, is a type of 2D bar code, first invented in Japan in 1994. The design was modeled on the coloured pieces from 'Go or Weiqi' a board game. Traditional barcode were already in existence but the amount of data they could store was limited, given they were scanned horizontally only.
Manufacturing plants specifically car factories needed a technology that could carry much more information and be read significantly quicker than existing methods.

History of QR code

Automotive Components company Denso Wave devised the first QR code, short for quick response as it was able to scan various car components at high speeds enabling them to be sorted stored or combined much more efficiently.

Adoption of QR code  

By the early 2000s use of the codes had become widespread across most of japan especially in logistics for processes like shipping and handling but also in everyday life like at airports and on street posters.
The novelty of the new shape and the rise of phones with built-in cameras was a match made in heaven and so the technophiles of japan consumed QR codes in their millions. 

Design of QR code

By this point the established design for codes was a trio of black squares one each in the upper left upper right and lower left corners which enabled scanning devices to detect their presence immediately. Their design was soon approved by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and so following the turn of the millennium we began to see them more in the western
world too.

How QR code works

Every QR code consists of a number of black squares and dots which represent certain pieces of information. When your Smartphone scans this code, it translate that information into something that can be easily understand by humans.

Quite simply, a QR code is an encoded piece of data. The data in a QR code can be alphanumeric, numeric or binary.

Use of QR code

In most everyday cases QR codes are simply a replacement for a web address saving the user from typing out a lengthy URL and allowing them to simply scan a small barcode with their smartphone. In the last few years android and apple phones have integrated QR code readers into their camera apps notifying the user when a code is scanned and detected then bringing them to the desired web page.

Pros & Cons of QR code

Pros 

QR codes also come with error correction built into their design meaning they can often still find you the correct redirection even when the code is damaged or dirty. Buses business cards and magazines are just a few of the places you can find QR codes today as their use becomes increasingly common in advertising. Countries like Russia and Ghana have even featured QR codes on their currency normally to commemorate historical events linking to a website with further details.

Cons

The codes have won several awards for design and innovation down the years but admittedly the technology isn't perfect QR codes have become tools for hackers as they can replicate a well-known website and trick targets into disclosing their personal information. Their reliance on a strong internet connection has also been criticized particularly for tourists and those in rural locations.

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